Published online Mar 26, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i9.2895
Peer-review started: November 11, 2021
First decision: January 11, 2022
Revised: January 13, 2022
Accepted: February 15, 2022
Article in press: February 15, 2022
Published online: March 26, 2022
Processing time: 131 Days and 7.5 Hours
Laparoscopic myomectomy is increasingly used for resecting gynecological tumors. Leiomyomas require morcellation for retrieval from the peritoneal cavity. However, morcellated fragments may implant on the peritoneal cavity during retrieval. These fragments may receive a new blood supply from an adjacent structure and develop into parasitic leiomyomas. Parasitic leiomyomas can occur spontaneously or iatrogenically; however, trocar-site implantation is an iatrogenic complication of laparoscopic uterine surgery. We describe a parasitic leiomyoma in the trocar-site after laparoscopic myomectomy with power morcellation.
A 50-year-old woman presented with a palpable abdominal mass without significant medical history. The patient had no related symptoms, such as abdominal pain. Computed tomography findings revealed a well-defined contrast-enhancing mass measuring 2.2 cm, and located on the trocar site of the left abdominal wall. She had undergone laparoscopic removal of uterine fibroids with power morcellation six years ago. The differential diagnosis included endometriosis and neurogenic tumors, such as neurofibroma. The radiologic diagnosis was a desmoid tumor, and surgical excision of the mass on the abdominal wall was successfully performed. The patient recovered from the surgery without complications. Histopathological examination revealed that the specimen resected from the trocar site was a uterine leiomyoma.
Clinicians should consider the risks and benefits of laparoscopic vs laparotomic myomectomy for gynecological tumors. Considerable caution must be exercised for morcellation to avoid excessive tissue fragmentation.
Core Tip: A 50-year-old female presented with a palpable mass on the left quadrant of the abdomen after laparoscopic myomectomy using power morcellation. We treated the mass by surgical excision. No other complications were observed during follow-up. According to our findings, parasitic leiomyoma may be developed in the previous trocar-site following laparoscopic morcellation. Parasitic leiomyoma is a late complication of laparoscopic myomectomy. Caution should be exercised when performing laparoscopic myomectomy or hysterectomy using power morcellation.